In Defense of Kate
by baycab
Summary: Takes place shortly after Rick discovers Kate's airline ticket for the DC job interview and his leaving after their fight.


The Colonel leaned back in his chair after an hour on the phone listening to a troubled and angry bestselling mystery writer:

"Yes Rick, I understand what's happening with you two. I am sorry for the drama between you and Kate but this could actually be a good thing...No it's not that I like to see you suffer. Because, then you call and whine trying to make your problem my problem...Ok, no, the good is that it could actually move you two toward closure, either admitting you two are soul mates and actually doing something about it or that you do not intrinsically want the same things out of life, at least with each other...Sure, but there are too many folks betting on you guys so I doubt the two of you would let the universe down by somehow deciding to end the relationship...You know she is trying to decide what she actually wants in life, so I suggest you do the same...Yeah, of course you need to run it through Problem Solving 101 and see what solution pops out...Nope, you're on your own as I would add bias...Of course you should include her. When has she ever let you down?...Ok, do that and let me know how it goes. I'm going to brew some tea and I want to think about all you told me...Yes, I've dropped coffee for a while. It seems that my drinking coffee makes my wife irritable...Yeah, you too. I wish you the best my friend... Give my best to Martha and Alexis. Goodbye."

Good Grief! Those kids make things so much harder than need be. Rick has grown the last few years. He's matured, acquired wisdom, skills and gotten smarter. Didn't realize he needed her at the time but when he did he fought to get and keep her.

He used to think Kate was a mystery. Extraordinary, yes. Mystery, no, as she is fairly predictable. But, she hasn't run yet after a year or so with Rick. So, now is the time for her to decide what she wants out of life. Little Katie Beckett is finally growing up. I wonder if she will finally choose happiness for herself or be distracted by something shiny. Will she choose life and all that it has to offer or death? Wow, I'm beginning to sound like a character in Rick's books or maybe Rick himself. Life or death of another, maybe the best, hope of happiness for her?

After brewing the tea, a very nice Darjeeling from across the pond provided by a Brother-in-Arms, the Colonel retired to his study to war game for himself the scenario as described by Rick. These two are THE poster children for the word "complicated". So, where to start?

Kate is a logical, sequential thinker. Rick on the other hand, an out of the box thinker, is not burdened with a straight time line often taking a circuitous route in discovering the actual story. The question is not whether to take the job over him. The actual question Kate is trying to answer is: where do I want to be five years from now? From that perspective it is her life and not about them. "Can we not make this about us?" is what Rick said she said. Since she is the one trying to decide what she truly wants. Stupid and selfish of her but I do see the thought process.

For so many years she defined her life in terms of achieving justice for her Mother's murder. Now that she is as far as she can be at this point, she has to decide what is next. Are the 12th and a relationship with Rick enough? While their word is "always", her mantra over the years has been "it's not enough." Her phrase was applied to relationships, Rick, herself and now her life. But, I suspect Kate is only trying to define exactly what will be enough or stated another way, what does she want for her life.

Like the detective she is, she gathers facts to assist in her investigation. That two powerful and influential individuals have recognized her as extraordinary seems to have awakened something in her. Both challenged that she could be, have and do so much more in another relationship or in another career. Is she content? Is she happy? Is this settling for less than she could be? Would a change make her happier, more fulfilled, knowing that she is living the course destined for her? Is the grass really greener someplace else? Of course, Erma Bombeck observed that the grass is always greener over the septic tank. You know that analogy does seem appropriate given the career change she is exploring and the billionaire ass hitting on her.

Sometimes maturity is in knowing what you do best, where you do it best and with whom you do it best. I'm glad Rick didn't hear that. His eyebrows would waggle until they fell off at my completely innocently stated innuendo.

He turned down a multi-book deal writing the secret agent that shall not be named to continue the Nikki Heat series. All my guys, myself included, have turned down offers of greater positions or promotions as we were highly effective where we were and enjoyed what we were doing. You know, even George Washington at one point was offered kingship of the colonies after the Revolutionary War. Yet, he turned it down as he had a vision of something far greater.

In looking at this, let's be tactful and call it a career option, Rick and Beckett process information differently. Upon learning of the job interview Rick jumps to the last page of the story writing an ending, without of course, any analysis. Yes, he war gamed it to a very possible ending of no time for the other will eventually end their relationship. Kate, however, is looking for information and facts that will either confirm she is where she needs to be or that she should move on in her life and career. However, if she gets to the decision point that she should move on career wise she at that point needs to involve Rick in the equation. He knows how to poke holes in her logic just as well as she knows how to ruin his stories with her logic.

If the decision is to move on with her career she will have to answer the question whether the DC job is that position. If not, she will keep looking and testing the waters. Possibly, another position will open in New York. Yeah, right. You know I like happy endings, magic, double rainbows, unicorns, Hobbits, and the like.

But, if the first decision is to move on career wise, then depending on the position Kate must decide if that is with, without, or possibly trying a long distance relationship with Rick. Some, actually everybody that knows those two, would say without Rick should be a screening criteria for any decisions. No Rick automatically screens out that option.

In defense of Kate, one wonders what exactly is wrong with aspiring to greater things. But, short of an invasion of shape shifting aliens bent on the destruction of mankind that she and Rick thwart, I don't see how she could do much more than she has where she is already. Really, after the past five years, how could she have a greater impact than where she is, given their propensity to attract trouble? Dirty bombs, tigers, despicable politicians, assassins, serial killers, CIA double agents, National Security threats, etc. I mean most folks could go for a midnight skinny dip without a body literally dropping in their pool!

Ok, to the matter at hand. One fact that must be answered is whether the offer is legitimate or not. Kate has been in harm's way, actually dying twice, due to her Mother's murder. Her opponents would think nothing of attacking her sideways. Separate her from her Team and her support at the 12th and it would be child's play for an accident or line of duty to silence her in DC or while on some remote assignment. I wonder if Rick's Dad could shed any light on the legitimacy of this offer.

Back to the logic. Typically in problem solving factors or criteria are generated that help in sorting through the noise in making the decision. Kate's criteria could be "the opportunity to do more", "greater resources to bring down Braken", "In-charge position or staff?", "Advancement opportunities", "Environment or job fit", "Four inch heels or not?", "Time for an outside life?", "Relationship with Rick", "Extensive travel", "Hours", "Contact with New York friends and family", "Marriage", "Starting a family?", "Freedom verses micromanagement in solving cases", "Balance in life", etc…

The key with the criteria, and I guarantee Kate has a set of criteria, is in properly defining the criteria and selecting a method of measurement. Some definitions are simple: "In-charge position or Staff?", probably safe to say Kate will be staff for a while (is there an assumption that she will not remain staff for long? If so, based on what facts?). However, some definitions are problematic. How do you define "The opportunity to do more" and how does one measure the criteria? Could this really be an assumption? If so, what is the assumption based upon? It definitely is not based on the facts presented by Rick and Kate. Throughout the years whenever the FEDS showed up those guys were ineffective without significant assistance from Kate, Rick and the Boys. What assumptions is Kate making in saying the job would allow her to do more? Are there actually facts that would support that assumption or is the statement based on other unsupported assumptions? Rick knows the danger of making assumptions not based on facts. People, yours and others, die because of errors in your thought process.

A fact is that Kate is extraordinary. We know she was good before Rick, but how much of her current success is due to the environment at the 12th and the team dynamics? Without that environment and team dynamic will Kate be nearly as successful? Would she have a team as loyal and as effective as at the 12th? Or, could her new shop be overrun with prima donnas, politics and backstabbing career oportunists? Been there, done that and it's not a pleasant working environment! The environment and team determined success for Kate. There is no guarantee, extraordinary or not, that she will be able to bring her new shop up to that level of performance. Especially due to politics! We all know, for example, that no military operation, regardless of how good or well planned, can survive an encounter with politics. Again, that would be an assumption (based on what facts?) that she would or would not be able to have or create a shop with the same level of performance. But, a fact is that at that DC political level she will not have the operational freedom she has at the 12th or her partner.

A key in problem solving, once the criteria are defined and measurable, is weighting as not all criteria are equally important. Obviously, to Kate right now the "opportunity to do more" and "advancement opportunities" rank very high. But, with the possibility of never ending 80+ hour weeks and extended periods of out of town travel, "time for an outside life" and "relationships" will become a life preserver to keep her from drowning in her work. What weight do you attach to these criteria?

Does she realize and actually understand that life is about more than a job or doing great things? Royce warned her about putting the job ahead of her heart and wondering much too late in life "if only".

I'm pretty sure I know what Rick wants and by extension what he will do. Kate is a loose canon at times. The answer, if she follows the logic, is simple. But, Kate is obstinate. She hears her own demons saying that "it's not enough". That she is not enough. There appears to be with Kate a deep seated fear of inadequacy resulting in a need to be the best and to prove herself by solving murders, denying pain or emotions, obtaining justice for her Mother, amazing folks by basically rising from the dead after being shot and generally being a real life superhero. I'm surprised Marvel doesn't already have graphic novels out. Maybe Rick could talk to Black Pawn and with the right super heroine outfit? That would definitely be the end of our problem solving if Rick was here. I'd never get his focus back on track.

But, why else would she question her accomplishments and the love of a man willing to die for her? Many women would literally kill to have her professional accomplishments, beauty, intelligence and the unconditional love of a man like Rick. Doesn't hurt that he's rich, ruggedly handsome, a bestselling mystery writer and has the best daughter in the world. How Alexis managed to raise him all these years is beyond me.

However, until she accepts herself as herself, warts and all, she will never be free of the demons she hears. And those voices do not advocate the fulness of life but death. Possibly this choice really is between life and death. Listening to the voices there never will be "enough". Like fire, death, and the grave, these never say "enough".

Whether the logic makes sense or not, the heart wants what the heart wants. Who is to say that Kate has not experienced all that she has in life for this specific opportunity? Possibly for such a time as this?

Are there plans for a future and a hope for her? Years ago Darah laid out such plans to Rick. You'd think he was drowning and had just been thrown a life preserver. She did a number on him alright. Of course I offered him a chance, if he was serious, to prove his mettle with the Team. And he did. With Darah he did far greater than any of us imagined. She was ultimately right about him as she always is.

Actually, the pitch made to me before creating the Team was similar to Kate's in terms of "more". I told Rick this was the basis for the Team as I added the guys I wanted:

What if you could change the world? What if the focus was not on a single city, state or country, but on the possible impact to a billion or more people?

What if early on you were offered the opportunity to significantly impact the war on terror (Yes, I know that terror is only a tactic and not the actual enemy.)? What if you were given the freedom to create your own team, recruit the best of the best (i.e.: extraordinary individuals), design the program from the ground up? Just given the direction and told to fill in the blanks? Told to create and write the story for the adventure as it grows and develops in your mind.

Would it be worth it? Would you be tempted? What if the cost to you personally would be at least two and half years away working 12 -18 hours a day? Would it be worth it to take a leap of faith for the opportunity to make a far greater impact in the world? To literally seize and control your own destiny at that moment?

There were 15 individuals who deemed it worthy. Even Rick bought in, jumping at the chance actually, and was added to the Team almost as a mascot at Darah's insistence.

We didn't know then but the actual results were far greater than anyone had imagined? There was a synergy growing as in putting the team together from across the country the mesh of skill sets and abilities are far greater than anyone anticipated. What if in two years the team you helped create was acknowledged to be one the finest in the command and dubbed its most flexible asset. What if visiting inspection groups ran out of superlatives and left saying they had never seen anything like it? What if Team members were requested by name to serve as consultants, trainers or to even run operations in multiple countries? What if the highest command levels called the team for their input and opinions? What if the team forever changed the way operations were conducted in measurable terms of cost, efficiency and effectiveness? What if then all related domestic and international operations were consolidated with this team? What if the results of the team operations filtered throughout the Command structure beginning with the Field Grade and moving both down to line operations and up to senior grade saving lives and improving operations? What if the team, which was only funded for a year as an experiment, functioned in its created role making these contributions for seven years before being fully absorbed into the Command? What if the impact included changed lives and the heart of the creation actually embraced and codified as doctrine?

Oh, and I probably shouldn't forget Rick in all this. His and Darah's part merely prevented what would have been the largest terrorist attack on the United States that the world had ever seen.

So, would the "more" be worth it? Would it be "enough"? Those Team members, including Rick, who thought it was worth the personal cost answered a call similar to this one:

"Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? Here am I! Send me!" – Isaiah 6:8, as imprinted on a dog tag from the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne)

Oh, yeah! She is totally going to take that job!

A/N: This is my first fanfic. Go easy on me but let me know what you think. There are enough teasers in the story to chase a few rabbits with an additional story, if you guys are interested.


End file.
